EXTINGUISHER PACKAGE FOR A SMOKING ARTICLE

Abstract

A package for a smoking article is provided, including a base layer and an elongate recess each having first and second ends; a cover layer having first and second ends and overlying the elongate recess, the cover layer and the elongate recess together defining a cavity configured to receive the smoking article. Each of the first end of the elongate recess and the first end of the cover layer includes a thermally insulating portion. A maximum width of the first end of the cavity between the base layer and the cover layer is greater than a corresponding maximum width of the second end of the cavity. The cover layer is moveable between an open position in which the smoking article can be removed from the cavity and reinserted, and a closed position in which the cover layer can substantially seal and extinguish the smoking article within the cavity.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A package for a smoking article, comprising: a base layer having first and second ends and comprising an elongate recess configured to receive the smoking article, the elongate recess having first and second ends; and a cover layer having first and second ends and overlying the elongate recess so that the cover layer and the elongate recess together define a cavity configured to receive the smoking article, the cavity having first and second ends, wherein each of the first end of the elongate recess and the first end of the cover layer comprises a thermally insulating portion, wherein a maximum width of the first end of the cavity between the base layer and the cover layer is greater than a maximum width of the second end of the cavity between the base layer and the cover layer, and wherein the cover layer is moveable between an open position in which a smoking article can be removed from the cavity and reinserted into the cavity, and a closed position in which the cover layer can substantially seal a smoking article within the cavity to extinguish the smoking article after the smoking article has been ignited.

17. The package according to claim 16, wherein the first end of at least one of the base layer and the cover layer is shaped so that the first end is spaced apart from the smoking article when the smoking article is received within the cavity and the cover layer is in the closed position, and wherein the thermally insulating portion comprises the spaced apart portion.

18. The package according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the base layer and the cover layer comprises an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall at the first end to create an insulating gap, and wherein the thermally insulating portion comprises the insulating gap.

19. The package according to claim 18, wherein the inner wall is formed from a metal foil.

20. The package according to claim 18, wherein the outer wall is formed from a polymeric material.

21. The package according to claim 18, wherein the insulating gap is at least partially filled with air.

22. The package according to claim 18, wherein the insulating gap is at least partially filled with a solid insulating material.

23. The package according to claim 16, wherein a solid insulating material is provided on an inner surface at the first end of at least one of the elongate recess and the cover layer.

24. The package according to claim 22, wherein the solid insulating material comprises at least one of a woven material, a non-woven fibrous material, and a porous matrix material.

25. The package according to claim 22, wherein the solid insulating material comprises at least one of a glass, a metal, a metal oxide, a ceramic, a polymeric material, a stone material, and combinations thereof.

26. The package according to claim 16, further comprising a thermally sensitive ink provided on an outer surface of at least one of the base layer and the cover layer.

27. The package according to claim 16, wherein the cover layer comprises a flexible material, the package further comprising a resealable adhesive between the base layer and the cover layer and extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the elongate recess.

28. The package according to claim 16, wherein the cover layer depends from the base layer along a hinge line.

29. A packaged smoking article, comprising: a smoking article comprising: a combustible heat source disposed at a first end of the smoking article, an aerosol-forming substrate, and a mouthpiece downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate and disposed at a second end of the smoking article; and a package according to claim 16, the smoking article being received within the cavity, the thermally insulating portions being disposed adjacent the combustible heat source when the first end of the smoking article is received within the first end of the cavity, and the cover layer being moveable between the open position in which the smoking article can be removed from the cavity and reinserted into the cavity, and the closed position in which the cover layer substantially seals the smoking article within the cavity to extinguish the combustible heat source after the combustible heat source has been ignited.

30. The packaged smoking article according to claim 29, further comprising a frangible seal sealing the cover layer to the base layer around at least a portion of the periphery of the elongate recess.

Description

[0050] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a packaged smoking article in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a packaged smoking article in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a packaged smoking article in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and

[0054] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a packaged smoking article in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a packaged smoking article 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the packaged smoking article 10 comprising a smoking article 12 received within a package 14.

[0056] The smoking article 10 comprises a combustible heat source 16 in the form of a carbon block at a first end of the smoking article 12. An aerosol-forming substrate 18 comprising tobacco is positioned downstream of the combustible heat source 16, and a mouthpiece 20 is positioned at a second end of the smoking article 12 downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate 18. In use, the combustible heat source 16 is ignited and heat from the combustible heat source 16 is transferred to the aerosol-forming substrate 18.

[0057] The package 14 comprises a base layer 22 and a cover layer 24 overlying the base layer 22. The cover layer 24 is formed from a flexible sheet material comprising an inner wall 26 formed from an aluminium foil and an outer wall 28 formed from a polymeric material. The base layer 22 also comprises an inner wall 30 formed from an aluminium foil and an outer wall 32 formed from a polymeric material. The inner wall 30 is shaped to form an elongate recess 33, the cover layer 24 and the elongate recess 33 together forming a cavity 35 in which the smoking article 12 is received.

[0058] A resealable adhesive extends around at least a portion of the periphery of at least one of the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 so that package can be opened and reclosed by peeling the cover layer 24 away from or back towards the base layer 22. The inner and outer walls of the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 are secured together with a heat seal 34 at a first end of the package 14 to prevent complete detachment of the cover layer 24 from the base layer 22.

[0059] To use the packaged smoking article 10 shown in FIG. 1, a consumer peels open the cover layer 24, removes the smoking article 12 from the package 14 and ignites the combustible heat source 16. After smoking the smoking article 12, the consumer reinserts the smoking article 12 into the package 14 and recloses the cover layer 24. The resealable adhesive substantially seals the cover layer 24 to the base layer 22 so that the smoked smoking article 12 is substantially sealed within the package 14. Once sealed within the package 14, the ignited combustible heat source 16 depletes the oxygen within the elongate recess 33 so that the combustible heat source 16 self-extinguishes.

[0060] To reduce the transfer of heat from the combustible heat source 16 to the exterior of the package 14 during extinguishing of the smoking article 12, the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 comprise insulating portions 40 and 42 comprising portions of the inner surfaces of the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 that are spaced apart from the combustible heat source 16. That is, a maximum width of a first end of the cavity 35 between the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 is greater than a maximum width of a second end of the cavity 35 between the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24. The insulating portions 40 and 42 further comprise a solid insulating material 44 comprising basalt fibres provided on the inner surface of each of the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 to insulate them from the combustible heat source 16.

[0061] To further reduce the transfer of heat from the combustible heat source 16 to the exterior of the package 14 during extinguishing of the smoking article 12, the inner and outer walls of the base layer 22 and the cover layer 24 are spaced apart to form insulating gaps 46. The insulating portions 40 and 42 further comprise a solid insulating material 48 provided within each insulating gap 46 adjacent the combustible heat source 16. The remainder of each insulating gap 46 is filled with air.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows a packaged smoking article 100 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The packaged smoking article 100 shown in FIG. 2 is substantially the same as the packaged smoking article 10 shown in FIG. 1 and like reference numerals designate like parts. The difference between the two packaged smoking articles is the cover layer 124 of the packaged smoking article 100 shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, whereas the cover layer 24 shown in FIG. 1 is formed from a flexible material, the cover layer 124 shown in FIG. 2 is substantially rigid and comprises an inner wall 126 formed from a rigid thermoplastic material laminated with an aluminium foil, and an outer wall 128 formed from a rigid thermoplastic material. Preferably, the outer walls of the base layer 22 and the cover layer 124 are formed from a single sheet of rigid thermoplastic material, wherein a fold line 125 in the thermoplastic material forms a hinge between the base layer 22 and the cover layer 124. After opening the packaged smoking article 100, the cover layer 124 may be reclosed and sealed in the closed position using a resealable adhesive. Alternatively, an interference fit between a portion of the cover layer 124 and a portion of the base layer 22 may retain the cover layer 124 in the closed position.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a packaged smoking article 200 in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. The packaged smoking article 200 shown in FIG. 3 is substantially the same as the packaged smoking article 100 described with reference to FIG. 2, except for the cover layer 224. Specifically, the inner and outer walls 226, 228 of the cover layer 224 are substantially parallel in the region of the insulating portion 42 and the solid insulating material 48 is provided on an inner surface of the inner wall 226 rather than in an insulating gap between the inner and outer walls 226, 228. To ensure that the solid insulating material 44 provided on the cover layer 224 remains spaced apart from the combustible fuel source 16 when the cover layer 224 is in the closed position the base layer 222 forms a deeper elongate recess and the inner wall 226 of the cover layer 224 comprises an elongate protrusion 227 to keep the smoking article 12 in contact with the base layer 222.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows a packaged smoking article 300 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The packaged smoking article 300 shown in FIG. 4 is substantially the same as the packaged smoking article 200 described with reference to FIG. 3, except for the base layer 322. Specifically, in the same manner as the cover layer 224, the inner and outer walls 330, 332 of the base layer 322 are substantially parallel in the region of the insulating portion 40 and the solid insulating material 48 is provided on an inner surface of the inner wall 330 rather than in an insulating gap between the inner and outer walls 330, 332. To ensure that the solid insulating material 44 provided on the base layer 322 remains spaced apart from the combustible fuel source 16 when the smoking article 12 is received within the cavity the inner wall 330 of the base layer 322 comprises an elongate protrusion 331 to support the smoking article 12.